Harland Sanders*

Founder
Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation

"Refuse to be discouraged."

Born in 1890 on a farm in Indiana, Harland Sanders was six when his father died. He assumed the responsibilities of cooking and caring for his siblings while his mother worked. As a teenager, Sanders worked at many jobs, including firefighter, steamboat driver, and insurance salesman. He also served in the Army. At 40, he cooked chicken dishes for people who stopped at his service station in Corbin, Kentucky. In 1936, Kentucky's governor gave Sanders the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel. Eventually, Sanders opened a 142-seat restaurant. He perfected his method of cooking chicken and developed a recipe that is still used today. With the development of the interstate highway system, Sanders, at age 65, took to the road, traveling city to city franchising his fried chicken recipe across the country. Today, there are 6,000 Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchises in all 50 states and 80 countries.